The embodiments described herein relate to retractable steering column assemblies and, more particularly, to a manually retractable steering column assembly for an autonomous vehicle.
As autonomously driven vehicles are developed, a number of opportunities will evolve related to comfort, entertainment and functionality for drivers. Steering wheels are commonly limited to standard driving positions due to the need for a driver to handle the steering wheel during operation of the vehicle. These limitations may be unnecessary during an autonomous driving mode of a vehicle. For example, a steering wheel may be retracted to a stowed position to enlarge the space available to a driver. Many vehicles with stowable columns during autonomous driving utilize power column actuators to move the column into the stowed position. However, manually adjusted columns do not have stow capability and do not have the ability to communicate a driving mode status to potential autonomous system(s).